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Legal and Insurance Implications of Agritourism (2018 Business of Farming Conference)

2.
§ 99E-30 Definitions
1. Agritourism activity - Any activity carried out on a farm or ranch that allows members of the general public, for
recreational, entertainment, or educational purposes, to view or enjoy rural activities, including farming, ranching,
historic, cultural, harvest-your-own activities, or natural activities and attractions. An activity is an agritourism activity
whether or not the participant paid to participate in the activity. “ Agritourism activity” includes an activity involving any
animal exhibition at an agricultural fair licensed by the Commissioner of Agriculture pursuant to G.S. 106-520.3.
2. Agritourism professional
3. Inherent risks of agritourism activity - Those dangers or conditions that are an integral part of an agritourism activity
including certain hazards, including surface and subsurface conditions, natural conditions of land, vegetation, and
waters, the behavior of wild or domestic animals, and ordinary dangers of structures or equipment ordinarily used in
farming and ranching operations. Inherent risks of agritourism activity also include the potential of a participant to act
in a negligent manner that may contribute to injury to the participant or others, including failing to follow instructions
given by the agritourism professional or failing to exercise reasonable caution while engaging in the agritourism
activity.
4. Participant
5. Person
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3.
§ 99E-31 Liability
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an agritourism professional is not liable for injury to or
death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of agritourism activities, so long as the warning contained
in G.S. 99E-32 is posted as required and, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no participant or
participant's representative can maintain an action against or recover from an agritourism professional for
injury, loss, damage, or death of the participant resulting exclusively from any of the inherent risks of
agritourism activities. In any action for damages against an agritourism professional for agritourism activity, the
agritourism professional must plead the affirmative defense of assumption of the risk of agritourism activity by
the participant.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section prevents or limits the liability of an agritourism professional if the
agritourism professional does any one or more of the following:
(1) Commits an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and
that act or omission proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the participant.
(2) Has actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of an existing dangerous condition on the land,
facilities, or equipment used in the activity or the dangerous propensity of a particular animal used in such
activity and does not make the danger known to the participant, and the danger proximately causes injury,
damage, or death to the participant.
(c) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section prevents or limits the liability of an agritourism professional under
liability provisions as set forth in Chapter 99B of the General Statutes.
(d) Any limitation on legal liability afforded by this section to an agritourism professional is in addition to any other
limitations of legal liability otherwise provided by law.
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4.
§ 99E-32 Warning Required
1. (a) Every agritourism professional must post and maintain signs that contain the
warning notice specified in subsection (b) of this section. The sign must be placed in
a clearly visible location at the entrance to the agritourism location and at the site of
the agritourism activity. The warning notice must consist of a sign in black letters, with
each letter to be a minimum of one inch in height. Every written contract entered into
by an agritourism professional for the providing of professional services, instruction,
or the rental of equipment to a participant, whether or not the contract involves
agritourism activities on or off the location or at the site of the agritourism activity,
must contain in clearly readable print the warning notice specified in subsection (b) of
this section.
2. Signs must contain specific language
3. Failure to comply will result in privileges of immunity being revoked
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